


sweet dreams

by yeonheon



Category: VERIVERY (Band)
Genre: Bottom Ju Yeonho, Bottom Lee Dongheon, Desert Island AU, M/M, Switching, Top Ju Yeonho, Top Lee Dongheon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:08:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27098623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeonheon/pseuds/yeonheon
Summary: All alone and stranded on a deserted island, Dongheon and Yeonho must rely on each other to survive.
Relationships: Ju Yeonho/Lee Dongheon
Comments: 30
Kudos: 35





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> this entire fic (which i'm planning to be many chapters) was inspired by dongheon saying that on a deserted island, he'd want to have a christmas tree, a sled, and yeonho ;; ❤️
> 
> also, as a general warning, this story contains mature content that may be graphic and upsetting for some readers, so please proceed at your own discretion.

For a long, long while (or what would certainly feel like it later on when Dongheon would turn over this series of events in his memory) there’s nothing, absolutely nothing. 

And then, there’s darkness. Absolute and total darkness. And then, for just a single moment, Dongheon is awake, he’s awake and aware of the fact that his eyes are closed, and that he was just unconscious, and that his mouth feels strangely warm, almost like it’s tingling. 

But before Dongheon can even open his eyes or do anything else, he’s suddenly bolting upright and turning over on his side, coughing up what feels like gallons of water as a gentle hand rubs his back and a deep, soothing voice crawls up his spine in a string of wordless, calming murmurs. 

Dongheon’s chest burns like it’s on fire and aches like every rib was broken as he coughs and coughs and more water just keeps coming out, Dongheon unable to get a breath in with how hard he’s retching, his eyes squeezed shut and teary, his whole body shaking through it, his head feeling like it was smashed open with a hammer. 

A minute or so passes, and it finally stops, and Dongheon falls back into a heap like his limbs are made of jelly, falls back onto a surface that’s soft and warm, almost fluid as it conforms to the shape of his body, and it feels like he blacks out again for at least a few seconds before his consciousness begins to return to him once more, this time much more slowly, in pieces, in droplets, one or two at a time for what feels like a thousand years but what he instinctively knows must only be a few minutes. 

And when Dongheon opens his eyes, wearily, slowly, barely at all, the first thing that he sees is another boy hovering over him, staring down at him, blurry at first, just a mess of colors and shapes, but as Dongheon blinks once, twice, and is able to open his eyes just a little bit further, the other boy’s image begins to sharpen until it’s as clear as the blue, cloudless sky above him. 

It’s then that Dongheon realizes that he’s lying on the ground, on what feels like dirt or soil. No, not dirt, not soil, it’s _sand_ , he’s lying on warm, fine sand, lying on a beach, and the boy hovering above him is concerned, his cheeks flushed red and his eyebrows furrowed, the sun shining behind the boy’s head like a halo. 

The sand, the sky, the sun. They’re outside, Dongheon realizes, and Dongheon can now feel the cool breeze caressing his skin. The other boy is saying something, asking him something, though Dongheon’s ears are ringing and he can only hear the sounds, can’t quite make out the words, but the other boy has a rich, deep voice that’s sweet at the same time, sweet like honey, and it makes Dongheon somehow feel at ease to hear it despite whatever traumatic event has obviously taken place. 

“—hear me? Can you hear me?” the other boy is asking, Dongheon’s head finally settling enough for him to be able to understand. 

And Dongheon’s chest aches terribly, his breathing weak, labored, erratic, and he feels so tired, so profoundly exhausted, too tired to respond even as his lips part as if to speak, and so he just stares the other boy in the eyes hoping that’ll suffice for an answer. 

Dongheon blinks slowly, focuses on staring straight into the other boy’s eyes, and they’re big and deep, soulful brown eyes framed by long, dark eyelashes, and as Dongheon’s vision continues clearing, he keeps blinking, if only as a way to keep himself from blacking out again, and he’s suddenly aware of his heart that’s pounding hard and fast in his chest, so hard and fast that it hurts, that it pulses the pain all the way out to his fingertips and toes. 

Truthfully, Dongheon feels like he can’t move at all, and he wonders if he’s broken every bone in his body, blinking a few more times before he tries to speak again, but he can’t, his throat feels much too dry and rough, like he swallowed mouthfuls of the sand that he’s lying on. All he can do is look straight up at the boy hovering over him who is looking more and more like some kind of angel framed by the bright, glowing sunlight and speaking to him with that beautiful voice of his. 

It’s then that Dongheon wonders if he’s died, and if this is the entrance to the afterlife, or some kind of in-between type of place. Perhaps he’s _dying_ , his real body all battered and broken somewhere out there in the real world, and all of this is simply taking place inside of his own mind, his body struggling to stay alive and manifesting its struggle in this vision of a guardian angel. It’s hard to say, and it’s even harder to string coherent thoughts together when he feels like he’s only just barely holding on to staying awake and conscious. 

The other boy is asking Dongheon again if he can hear him, the boy’s voice coming through much clearer now that the ringing in Dongheon’s ears is fading, and this time, Dongheon is able to nod his head, an action that causes a fresh wave of dizziness to ripple through him all at once, Dongheon wincing as stars dance in the corners of his eyes and his stomach churns with nausea. 

Even so, the other boy lets out a long sigh of relief, followed by a soft, easy chuckle, and it’s then that his hands move to support Dongheon’s stomach and lower back, to help Dongheon to sit up carefully in the sand, Dongheon grimacing as his whole body screams in protest until he’s finally sitting upright, some of the sand falling off of his body, falling out of his hair, the rest of it stuck to his clothes that he only now is realizing are still damp from having been soaked through with seawater and are sticking uncomfortably to his skin as the sun has only halfway baked him dry. 

As Dongheon breathes heavily and regains his bearings, he can smell the salt thick in the air, and he can hear the crash of the ocean waves just a short distance away. He realizes then that his clothes have also been half-torn off of his body, ripped in thick stripes across his chest and across his stomach and over his thighs, and he’s covered in all manner of scratches and scrapes, the ripped sections of his clothes stained along the edges with what appears to be patches of dried blood. 

Dongheon watches the other boy’s eyes looking down at him for a moment, and it’s as if the other boy is reading Dongheon’s mind with how his eyes trace over the lines of torn clothing with concern, but Dongheon doesn’t miss it as the boy’s eyes travel over the large swatches of bare skin exposed at Dongheon’s chest and stomach, and the boy’s cheeks flush once again, this time from more than just the hot sun beating down on the two of them. 

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” the other boy is saying, his eyes moving back up to meet Dongheon’s in a steady gaze, his hands resting securely at Dongheon’s stomach and back, and it’s then that Dongheon is finally able to get a good look at him. “I woke up and when I first saw you in the water, I thought it might be too late.” 

The other boy looks to be in better shape than Dongheon, well, as far as randomly washing up on a beach is concerned, but he’s clearly been through the same kind of trauma himself. He’s got a nasty scrape across his cheek that’s bruised around the edges and his plump bottom lip is bleeding down his chin. He’s also got what looks to be a head injury, his hair caked in blood on one side, some of which appears to have dripped down the side of his face and dried up in the sun, but unlike Dongheon, his clothing is still mostly intact, and other than some scrapes and bruises up and down his arms and legs, he seems to be all in one piece, his eyes bright and clear darting around Dongheon’s face. 

And Dongheon just looks him over up and down, perplexed. The other boy seems quite a bit younger than him, and despite the head injury, he looks healthy and alert, and despite what appears to be a thick, sturdy body, he’s got a cute, innocent-looking face, a cherubic demeanor about him, sweet as sugar, and again, Dongheon wonders briefly if he died and he’s speaking to an angel. 

“I had to give you CPR,” the other boy says, and he suddenly looks away, a fresh, red blush recoloring his cheeks. “I’m glad it worked. I’ve never actually done it before.” 

And Dongheon remembers it now, in bits and pieces, in flashes of images and sensations. He remembers being mercilessly tossed by ocean waves until he reached the shallow waters lining the shore, and he remembers hitting his head on something hard and solid, so hard that his vision had gone black for several minutes even with his eyes wide open in terror, and he remembers the scent of his own blood in the water when he finally gave in and collapsed, and he remembers the feeling of water filling his lungs, and the feeling of being carried, limp and unmoving as he stared up at the sky without seeing, onto the beach, then laid down gently on the sand burning hot from midday sun. 

And just when he was on the verge of slipping away, of giving himself up to the darkness encircling his mind’s eye and the numb warmth spreading over his body, urging him to just let go and let everything fall away, he remembers the other boy’s mouth on his, soft and warm, and the boy’s hands on his chest, an anchor pulling Dongheon back down into his body, back down to the earth. 

This boy had saved Dongheon’s life.


	2. Chapter 2

A few minutes pass in silence, Dongheon continuing to regain his bearings while the other boy waits patiently at his side, and before the two of them can even begin to tend to their injuries or to figure out where the heck they are and what the heck happened to them, Dongheon thinks some introductions are in order, and it’s with a deep, labored breath that he finally finds himself able to speak, turning his head and looking the other boy right in the eyes. 

“Thank you,” is all that Dongheon can manage at first, and he takes a long pause before he speaks again, voice a little steadier. “You saved me.” 

“Of course,” the other boy says, and he gives Dongheon a sweet little smile showing his teeth, and he’s really very cute, he reminds Dongheon of a puppy, and something about him just exudes positivity. “I’m really just glad that you’re okay.” 

“Thank you,” Dongheon says again, softer, and now, he too manages to give a weak smile, and he’s feeling a little bit better with each moment that passes. He goes on to introduce himself, and he tells the other boy that he’s 25 years old, and the other boy smiles again, wider, eyes shining. 

“I’m Yeonho,” the other boy says. “I’m 20. It’s nice to meet you, Dongheon-hyung.” 

And Dongheon finds himself smiling again too, it’s hard to resist with the way that Yeonho’s brightness is so infectious. 

They both go quiet for a moment then, a little bit awkward but not uncomfortable, and it soon becomes apparent that their injuries are not as bad as they had seemed at first. Dongheon doesn’t think he’s even bleeding anymore, he thinks his cuts must have not been very deep despite the way that his shirt got shredded. He mostly just feels sore and ache-y, and his chest still hurts from almost drowning, but otherwise, his head is clearing and everything is starting to settle, to calm itself, and Dongheon thinks that he’ll make it just fine after all, once they get cleaned up. 

What’s really pressing is the fact that they’re washed up on an empty island like something out of a movie, and the fact that they’re still on the beach and nobody is coming to help them, and that there’s no civilization in sight, doesn’t bode well. 

“Do you know where we are?” Dongheon asks as he tries to sit up a little further, Yeonho reaching down to help him by supporting his back and his stomach again, and it’s still an effort, but Dongheon manages to sit up properly and he gives Yeonho a quick little nod, grimacing but letting Yeonho know that he’s alright. Dongheon can see now that Yeonho has been resting on his knees this whole time beside him, and it’s nice to finally speak at eye-level. 

“I haven’t been able to look around much yet,” Yeonho says. “But from what I can tell...I think we’re all alone here.” 

Yeonho lets out a little sigh, suddenly looking down at the sand. “I don’t remember where I was before this or what I was doing,” he says. “I can’t remember waking up this morning or going to bed last night. I’m not even sure what the last thing I remember is at all. I’m a little worried about it.” 

“Just a little?” Dongheon asks, letting out an incredulous chuckle. “It looks like you hit your head pretty hard, though I guess I don’t have much of an excuse myself...” 

Yeonho looks up at Dongheon again, eyes going wide. “You don’t remember anything either?” 

“No, I don’t remember anything before this,” Dongheon confirms. “But I remember hitting my head when I was in the water, so we might both be operating with some brain damage here.” 

Yeonho’s eyes go a little wider, and Dongheon can’t help but to chuckle again because it’s cute, and then, despite all reason, Dongheon attempts to stand up, Yeonho immediately getting to his own feet, moving to help him, and slowly, Dongheon is able to stand, clutching hard to Yeonho’s hand as Yeonho helps him up. Dongheon only realizes then that his shoes are gone and he’s barefoot, as is Yeonho, and Dongheon supposes it’s only natural that his shoes (they must have been sandals) got tossed away somewhere in the waves. 

Standing up now, Dongheon can see that Yeonho is a bit shorter than him, but not by much, and Dongheon finds himself leaning onto Yeonho for support as his body remembers how to use his legs, Dongheon clutching onto Yeonho’s shoulder and Yeonho’s arm wrapping around Dongheon’s waist, his other hand gripping timidly to Dongheon’s bicep. Yeonho is supporting him, but he’s also waiting to follow Dongheon’s lead. 

“What should we do now?” Yeonho asks, shyly holding on to Dongheon’s arm and looking down once more at the sand. 

Dongheon glances out at the waves and says, “Let’s find a spot further up the beach and we can take a look at our injuries. Make sure nothing’s broken and that we’re not bleeding out without realizing it before we do anything else.” 

And it’s at that moment that Dongheon feels how hard his heart is pounding, because he’s trying his best to stay calm and their dire situation is only just now starting to fully process in his mind. Yeonho seems calm enough on the surface, but Dongheon can tell that he’s scared too, he’s got a tight grip on Dongheon’s arm, and Dongheon knows that just like himself, Yeonho is also waiting to wake up from this like it’s some kind of strange, highly-realistic and elaborate dream. 

They take a few steps together, and besides the dull ache that Dongheon is feeling all over his entire body, he doesn’t feel that anything is broken, and as they carefully make their way up the beach one slow step at a time, feet sinking into the soft, warm sand and the sun beating down on them from the middle of the sky, Dongheon is soon able to work his legs properly again on his own. Even so, Yeonho keeps holding on to him anyway, and Dongheon doesn’t say anything about it. 

They keep walking in silence for a few minutes until they find a shaded spot up the beach with some palm trees hanging overhead, right on the edge of what looks to be a deep and wild forest, and it’s there that they finally separate, Yeonho helping Dongheon to sit down in the sand before leaving to go on ahead. 

“I’m going to take a walk around to see if I can find anything,” Yeonho says. “You take a rest. I’ll be back in a little while.” 

Dongheon gives Yeonho a little nod and watches as he walks across the beach and out of sight, Dongheon then turning his attention out to the sand and the ocean in front of him. By Dongheon’s estimate, it’s just after midday, and the waves are rough and choppy, the clear water and thick seafoam sparkling in the sun. 

Dongheon reaches down to touch the sand beside him absentmindedly, scoops it up and lets it fall slowly from between his fingers as he thinks. If they really are alone here, will anyone be coming for them? How would anyone even know to come for them? Surely their families are searching for them if they’ve gone missing, but how would they ever find this place, wherever it is? Should they focus on staying put and waiting for rescue, or should they try to leave the island somehow? And how did they even get here in the first place? How and why did any of this happen? 

Dongheon frowns, letting the rest of the sand fall out and then dusting his hands together to rid what’s left, and from there, he stretches out his legs, half-bent in front of him and leans back, palms in the sand, tilting his head up to the sky and closing his eyes, taking a slow, deep breath of salty sea air. 

He tries to focus on staying calm, keeps his breathing steady despite the way the panic is starting to creep in cold in his veins at the fact that they seem to really be stuck here, and he keeps breathing carefully as he tries to think of a plan, of what to do next, and he tries with everything he has to remember, frowning, his eyebrows furrowing as he tries to remember anything at all about what happened before all of this, tries desperately to capture even the tiniest glimmer of information that could be useful to them. But it’s all just blank, all just white light and agonizing pain, even the smallest fragments of memories quickly fizzling away before he has the chance to see them clearly, and it’s like the harder that he tries to remember, the faster they disappear. 

It feels like about twenty or thirty minutes go by of Dongheon sitting there alone, deep inside his own mind as he tries to remember literally anything other than light and darkness and water, and he’s starting to get restless, curling his fingers in the sand and digging his nails in deep, when he finally hears Yeonho returning, and he lowers his head, eyes flickering open in time to see Yeonho coming back up the beach towards him, Yeonho’s cheeks flushed and his breathing slightly heavy from walking uphill through deep sand. 

Dongheon gives Yeonho a moment to catch his breath before asking, “Did you find anything?” 

Yeonho looks at him with worried eyes and shakes his head. “There’s no sign of anyone or anything else. It’s all just beach and forest as far as I can see. This island doesn’t seem very big either, I think I made it quite far across.” 

“Then it looks like we’re truly on our own,” Dongheon says. “Whatever we do next, whether we try to leave or stay put, we’ll need to take care of ourselves for the time being. Do you have anything with you we could use?” 

“No,” Yeonho replies. “Just the clothes I’m wearing.” Yeonho then pouts cutely. “I don’t even know what happened to my shoes.” 

Dongheon lets out a soft little laugh, makes a point of lifting and wiggling his own bare toes, and Yeonho gives a shy smile before there’s another pause between them, and then Yeonho asks, “How are you feeling?” 

“Not bad, actually,” Dongheon says. “I think I was more in shock than anything else before. It’s sort of a miracle, but I think I’m mostly okay. I mean, other than almost drowning.” 

And with that, Dongheon sits up straight and pulls off his shirt by the collar to get a better look, letting it fall into his lap, and sure enough, the tears in his shirt had made the cuts on his bare chest and stomach seem much worse, but looking now, they seem to be quite shallow, not much more than scrapes, the bleeding having stopped on its own some time ago. 

It seems extremely lucky that his injuries weren’t worse than this, but still, Dongheon knows that looks can be deceiving when it comes to injuries, and that they should be looked at a little more carefully and cleaned at least a little bit to prevent infection, because how would they even deal with something like that out here with no supplies? Even something easily treatable in normal circumstances could be a slow and painful death sentence out here all alone in the wilderness. 

Dongheon looks up at Yeonho, who’s staring down at him with flushed cheeks again, eyes wide and transfixed on Dongheon’s toned, muscular body, and Dongheon can’t help the little smirk that dances over his face. “Hey,” he says gently, tossing Yeonho his shirt and pulling Yeonho out of his daze. “Why don’t you go soak this in water so we can clean up a bit?” 

Yeonho nods quickly, clutching Dongheon’s shirt tight and heading down to the ocean, and Dongheon watches him go with that same smirk returning, his eyes going half-lidded in fondness. Yeonho is very cute, and Dongheon can’t say he doesn’t enjoy a little bit of playful teasing. He’s always had a soft spot for the innocent little brother type. 

Yeonho returns a few minutes later, and he kneels down carefully in the sand at Dongheon’s side, clutching onto Dongheon’s shirt now soaked through again with water, and he gives Dongheon an imploring look, waiting for approval, until Dongheon gives a little nod, and then, Yeonho starts to carefully wipe the damp shirt over Dongheon’s cuts to clean off the blood and dirt, Yeonho timid and hesitant at first, but soon, he becomes very focused, and Dongheon enjoys watching him and the way that his ears turn red to match his cheeks as he gently dabs the soaked fabric over Dongheon’s abs and stomach. 

The cuts aren’t deep, as Dongheon had suspected, and they don’t appear infected or to be in any sort of dangerous condition, and again, Dongheon thinks that he must have been very, very lucky, and he decides not to think anymore about what would’ve happened if things had gone worse. He’ll just be thankful, for fate treating him kindly, and for Yeonho who saved him. 

“Thank you,” Dongheon says out loud as Yeonho starts gently wiping the damp shirt over the cuts on Dongheon’s chest, wiping away more blood and more dirt from Dongheon’s sculpted pectoral muscles, and Yeonho just gives a shy little nod as he continues, but he doesn’t say anything, and a comfortable silence settles between them as Yeonho finishes up. 

When all of Dongheon’s cuts are clean, Dongheon offers his hand and says, “Let me get yours.” 

Yeonho’s eyes go wide for a moment, but then he nods and gives Dongheon back his shirt, and he sits down beside Dongheon in the sand and turns slightly towards him, Dongheon leaning over and reaching to dab a clean part of his damp shirt at the wound at Yeonho’s temple. 

And again, Dongheon can’t help it, and he grins as he leans over Yeonho while he’s still shirtless, and he almost laughs, can feel it bubbling in his chest as he sees Yeonho grow redder and redder and redder, Yeonho obviously trying to stay calm but Dongheon can almost hear the way his heart is racing, and Dongheon finally chuckles as he tenderly wipes at Yeonho’s cut. It’s deeper than any of Dongheon’s, and touching it causes it to start bleeding again, so Dongheon holds his shirt there for a few minutes to apply pressure to stop the bleeding, humming low in his throat even as some worried thoughts flicker through his mind. 

“You know CPR, right?” Dongheon asks. “What about how to test for a concussion?” 

“No idea about that one,” Yeonho replies nervously, sounding a little breathless as Dongheon is still leaning over him and holding the shirt pressed to his head. 

They go quiet again, and Dongheon continues to dab lightly at the cut for a while as Yeonho looks down into the sand, the sounds of the ocean waves growing louder as the wind picks up. Eventually, the bleeding stops, and Dongheon is able to wipe down the rest of Yeonho’s face where blood had dripped down and dried, and when he wipes over the cut on Yeonho’s cheek and then the cut on Yeonho's lip, Dongheon grins again, because it’s just too cute the way that Yeonho flinches and pouts at every one of the soft, caring touches. 

When Dongheon is all finished with cleaning Yeonho’s injuries, he sits back normally and lets his shirt fall into his lap, Dongheon looking down and trying to think about what to say, Yeonho now looking out at the distance and playing with the sand much like Dongheon had been doing earlier. 

Dongheon has never been great with small talk, but he wants to get to know Yeonho a little better, especially if the two of them are going to be here alone together for who knows how long, and besides, it’s just nice to have a companion here, to have someone to talk to at all. It makes things seem less bleak, and really, Dongheon can’t imagine going through this all alone, it would be like Hell, it would be a nightmare, and that’s not even mentioning the practical value of having another person around, because of course, he would’ve died if it weren’t for Yeonho. 

They haven’t spent much time together, Dongheon really doesn’t know him at all, but Dongheon has always considered himself an excellent judge of character, his first impressions usually accurate, and as far as Yeonho’s first impression, Dongheon thinks that even if they weren’t stuck together on a deserted island, they would get along well and become fast friends, wherever they’ve would’ve ended up meeting. 

“So...” Dongheon starts, looking over at Yeonho to begin a conversation. “What’s your story? You know, back in the outside world?” 

Yeonho laughs a little at that, still looking away from Dongheon. “I’m a university student,” Yeonho says. “I really want to become a singer, so I’m studying music. I’m even starting to look around at different companies. I’m thinking about becoming a trainee.” 

And with that, Dongheon grins wide. “I’m a musician too,” Dongheon says. “I graduated a few years ago and I work in music production at a mid-sized company. If we ever get out of here, maybe I can help you get your foot in the door.” 

Dongheon pauses, his smile going softer before he continues. “Can I hear your voice? You know, like an audition?” 

Yeonho finally turns to look at Dongheon, his ears going red at the tips as they make eye contact. “Maybe a little bit later,” he says, and Dongheon gives a loud, exaggerated whine of disappointment, reaches over to shake Yeonho’s shoulder gently and says, “But I want to hear it now.” 

Yeonho laughs, reaching up to pat Dongheon’s hand on his shoulder. “I promise, later,” he says. “I just feel too nervous right now to sing properly, is all. I think my voice will crack and I’ll ruin my audition.” 

“Okay, fine,” Dongheon replies, lowering his hand and looking warmly into Yeonho’s eyes, but then, Dongheon lifts a nagging index finger and chides, “You owe me a song, just remember that. Even if rescue comes in an hour, we’re not leaving this island until you sing for me.” 

Yeonho chuckles quietly and nods, and Dongheon starts up again, “What else do you like, besides music?” 

And from there, they start chatting, one little bit at a time, Dongheon continuing to lead the conversation in the beginning while Yeonho remains a bit timid, and it’s cautious and awkward at first, but as the minutes pass, and as they slowly grow more comfortable with each other, they soon find themselves talking pretty effortlessly about themselves, Yeonho especially beginning to open up drastically from his former shyness, and as he does, Dongheon learns that Yeonho is quite the talker, quite extroverted with a lot to say about any subject, just like Dongheon is. 

And not only that, Yeonho is smart and funny. He’s really, really funny. He gets Dongheon laughing so hard that he hollers, and soon, the two of them are talking loudly and unrestrained to each other like friends who’ve known each other for years, completely losing themselves in their discussion, first about movies they like, about dramas they like, about food they like, and all sorts of funny stories from their lives. It turns out that they have so much in common, and even the way that they think seems to be quite similar, and they talk about everything excitedly, sitting there in the sand and laughing together like idiots, and before they know it, hours have passed, and the sun has moved lower in the sky as late afternoon approaches. 

Really, Dongheon can’t remember the last time that he talked with someone for so long or had such a fun and interesting series of conversations, and beyond that, heck, he doesn’t think he’s ever connected with someone this quickly and this effortlessly in his entire life. 

They eventually reach a natural pause in the conversation, both of them laughing quietly until they fall silent, and Dongheon feels much calmer, a lot more positive despite the fact that nothing has really changed at all about their situation. He feels more optimistic now, optimistic that surely, help is coming, of course it is. 

Two regular boys like them don’t go missing in the middle of the ocean without a huge uproar, and of course their families must be doing everything that they can to find them. For all they know, their pictures are plastered all over the news on every channel and government agency officials are working around the clock to find them. And whatever happened, however it is that they got here, it’s not like there are any undiscovered places left nowadays, right? 

They’ll certainly be rescued eventually, it’s just a matter of helping each other until then, however long it takes. The two of them need each other to make it through this, and Dongheon is determined that they _will_ make it through this. 

It’s at that moment in the silence between them, in the peaceful atmosphere of the afternoon’s gentler breeze and the tumbling of the ocean waves, the birds flying in the sky and the sun shining down brightly without a cloud in sight, that Dongheon’s stomach suddenly growls loud enough for both of them to hear it, Dongheon’s eyes going wide and Yeonho laughing. 

“Hey, it’s not funny,” Dongheon whines as Yeonho keeps laughing. “Don’t tell me you’re not starting to get hungry too. We’ve been here for hours, and that’s just the time that we remember.” 

Yeonho’s laughter quiets and he nods. “Yeah, I’m definitely starting to feel a bit lightheaded. We’ll probably need some water soon as well. What should we do?” 

“Did you see anything while you were walking around?” Dongheon asks. “We’re on an island. Shouldn’t there be coconuts on palm trees, something like that?” 

Yeonho laughs again. “I didn’t see anything,” he says. “We might be able to find something deeper in the forest if we go in and explore, but I think, at least for now, we have a better option.” 

“And what’s that?” Dongheon asks, and Yeonho stands up, soon offering his hand for Dongheon to take to help him to stand up too, a little awkwardly again, Dongheon letting his shirt fall from his lap into the sand. His legs are a bit sore from sitting for so long, but otherwise, he’s feeling really, really good, and Dongheon notices Yeonho’s eyes briefly fall to his naked torso before flickering back up to meet his own, Dongheon endlessly amused by Yeonho’s cute behavior. 

“In the ocean, there’s fish, of course,” Yeonho says. “I saw before, there were a lot of them.” 

“Ah, of course,” Dongheon replies, nodding. “Okay, that sounds doable.” 

Yeonho leads the way back down over the beach, over the warm, dry sand near the forest all the way down to the wet, cool sand at the shoreline, until they’re at the ocean’s edge and wading in one step at a time through the water warm from the sun and crystal-clear, and they keep going deeper until the water is up to their hips, the waves gently rolling them up and down every few minutes, and as they stop and start to look around, Dongheon can see immediately that Yeonho was right. 

There are dozens, maybe hundreds of fish swimming all around them, most too small to provide a meal, and they tickle the boys’ legs as they swim by, Dongheon starting to get a little jumpy, a reaction that has Yeonho eyeing him and laughing softly, Dongheon’s face going red as he yelps every time he feels a fish against one of his legs. 

And soon, they start to see bigger fish swimming by, and Dongheon lets out an embarrassing shriek as one swims up against the back of one of his thighs, and he suddenly grabs onto Yeonho’s shoulder beside him without thinking, Yeonho bursting into loud laughter this time, because it’s a pretty ridiculous scene, but he lets Dongheon keep his hands there for a few moments without a word as he turns his attention back to the water. 

They both spend a long time trying to catch a fish, and Dongheon is absolutely terrible at it, unable to grab one without yelling at how quick and slippery it is, and finally, Dongheon just gives up and moves away to give Yeonho some space, Dongheon crouching down so he can dip all the way up to his neck in the refreshing water, just hanging back while he watches Yeonho work, and Yeonho does a much better job, he’s much slower and much more patient. 

And right now, Yeonho looks so much more serious than Dongheon has seen him thus far, Yeonho giving off an entirely different kind of vibe than the cute, babyish one from before, and sure enough, in only a few more minutes, and without Dongheon scaring them all away with his nervous shrieking, Yeonho is able to catch a fish large enough for the two of them to share. 

They return to the spot up on the edge of the forest and Yeonho sits down in the sand and starts to prepare the fish on the surface of a flat boulder using some sharp-edged rocks that Dongheon is able to find from the area around them, and Dongheon watches with fascination as Yeonho gets to work, Dongheon wondering how Yeonho is so knowledgeable about all of this. 

“Don’t worry, I’ve done this before. Cooking is another hobby of mine,” Yeonho says, looking at Dongheon as if reading his mind. “Do you think you can figure out how to get a fire going for us? That’s something that I’m not really sure how to do, like, at all.” 

Dongheon lets out a little chuckle and says, “Sure. How hard can it be?” 

And while Yeonho works on cleaning out the fish and preparing the meat to be cooked, Dongheon is on fire duty, and it turns out to be much more difficult than he had anticipated. He tries out all of the different methods that he’s seen in movies and on television, going back and forth into the outer edges of the forest for various rocks and twigs and leaves, anything that he can think of and can find, and it takes him many, many attempts, Dongheon soon growing frustrated and almost ready to give up after yet another one fails. 

But then, Dongheon tries one last time, and he finally manages to get it right, the smallest whisp of smoke rising from the bundle of twigs that he had collected, and Dongheon grins wide, leans in and blows gently at the kindling until he’s able to at last ignite a small flame, and from there, Dongheon starts jumping up and down and hollering in victory, Yeonho watching him with an amused grin until Dongheon is suddenly pulling Yeonho up to stand and hugging him happily, Yeonho a bit flustered but smiling and Dongheon laughing so hard and grinning so wide that his face hurts. 

It’s starting to get late, and as Yeonho brings over the fish to cook for them over the fire, Dongheon sits comfortably stretched out in the sand beside him and he looks out at the sunset over the ocean, and he can’t help but to think that as terrifying as this situation is, as insane and unbelievable as all that’s happened is, it’s a beautiful sight, and Dongheon feels perfectly content, at least for the moment. 

“You know, you’re pretty talented, Yeono-ya,” Dongheon says, looking at Yeonho as he watches him continue working on the fish. “You know CPR, you’re a singer, you know how to cook...what else can you do?” 

Yeonho just laughs, meeting Dongheon’s eyes for a brief second before looking back down into the fire. “Don’t worry, there are plenty of things that I’m hopeless at,” Yeonho says. “You don’t need to worry about trying to impress me.” 

At that, Dongheon raises an eyebrow and smirks, sitting up a little straighter. “What makes you think I’d try to impress you? Have you been trying to impress me?” 

Yeonho’s face flushes as he realizes the slip of the tongue, Dongheon watching with amusement as the wheels turn behind Yeonho’s eyes. “I just meant,” Yeonho says, laughing a little, “that I’m happy to do what I can to help the both of us, and I’m sure you have plenty to offer our survival efforts besides just...you know...sitting around and looking pretty.” 

“Oh, so now you think I’m pretty?” Dongheon teases, leaning back and enjoying how Yeonho just keeps digging himself into a deeper and deeper hole. 

“It’s a common expression!” Yeonho whines. “You know what I mean.” But even then, Yeonho is smiling and his eyes are shining, and another comfortable silence falls between them as a gentle breeze picks up and showers them in the scent of the island trees and the saltwater. 

Yeonho finishes preparing the fish, and they spend the next hour or so eating and talking quietly while they watch the sunset, the air cool and gentle on Dongheon’s bare skin and rising goosebumps as a chill arrives with the early evening. The day feels like it had lasted forever, and Dongheon still can’t believe how much had happened in such a short period of time. He’d gotten washed up on a deserted island, almost died, lost all of his recent memories, and now, here he is with his new friend, the two of them both silently wondering what could possibly come next. 

They finish their meal and Dongheon finally puts his shirt back on, it now having dried completely from before, and the two of them briefly lament the fact that they both only have one set of clothes each that they’ll have to wash over and over again for some semblance of normal living. In fact, if there’s anything that’s become abundantly clear, it’s that there are so many little comforts that they’ll have to do without, so many little things that they had always taken for granted that are now so many little problems that they’ll have to solve one at a time all on their own with nothing but whatever they can find around them. 

They’ve still got a little bit of daylight left, and so the two of them go off to search around the edges of the forest for anything that can help them to make some sort of beds, at least for tonight or until they can figure out something better. They don’t go too far in for fear of getting stuck there in the dark, but they manage to find a small stream, barely more than a few large puddles. They agree to try later to find the river where it’s coming from, likely much deeper into the forest, but for now, they’re thankful for the source of fresh water to drink and to use to clean their teeth and wash their faces. 

They explore for a little while longer, but there’s not much to see besides more trees and forest this close to the outer edge, and so they soon turn back, and because the weather is calm and the night will be gentle, they settle on sheltering beneath the same stretch of trees at the top of the beach that they’ve been hanging around all day. Still, they know that given the unpredictability of island weather, they’ll need to find something more suitable soon, and they can’t risk just sleeping out in the open for long. 

They also manage to find and collect large, flat leaves from some of the tall island plants growing nearby, and they stack them up and bunch them together as much as they can into two makeshift beds so that they don’t have to sleep directly on the sand, and it’s not much, but at least it’s something, and as the first stars begin to come out and their fire starts to die, Dongheon and Yeonho find themselves growing sleepy, and they do their best as they lie down and try to get comfortable for the night. 

The island around them grows so quiet, the only sounds that can be heard the gentle rolling of the ocean waves and the occasional rustling of the trees in the wind, and Dongheon is lying on his back, comfortable and full, his eyes slipping closed as he lies there in that dreamy place just before sleep and breathes in the crisp, cool air. 

“Hey, hyung,” he hears Yeonho whisper a few feet away from where he’s lying on the other side of their little fire that’s only got moments left before it goes out and leaves them washed in darkness and the natural light of the stars and the moon. “I just wanted to say something quick.” 

And Dongheon smiles a little, eyes still closed, because it suddenly feels like they’re little kids at a sleepover or something. “What is it?” he asks softly. 

“If I wake up tomorrow, and it turns out that this was all just some sort of crazy dream,” Yeonho starts, his deep voice sounding like a lullaby when Dongheon is half-asleep like this, “if none of this was real and you and this island were just something all in my head, I just want to say...it really was great to meet you, hyung.” 

Dongheon’s eyes slowly flicker open, but he keeps looking up at the stars. “It was great to meet you too, Yeono-ya,” Dongheon says, and he can feel the embers of embarrassment glowing between them at this cringey, sappy moment, but it’s not unpleasant, it’s not unpleasant at all. 

The wind picks up like soft, hurried whispers all around them, and Dongheon soon drifts off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

When Dongheon wakes the next morning, he’s all alone. 

He opens his eyes wearily, his vision blurred and dull for a few seconds as it adjusts, and for just a moment, he’s confused about why he’s waking up outside and lying on sand, until he remembers everything from yesterday all at once and he groans, closing his eyes and wincing as his body aches all over with perfect timing. Yes, sleeping on the ground and half-healed injuries from being tossed around and then washed up on the beach certainly don’t mix. 

Still, he feels well-rested enough given what he slept on and under what circumstances, and despite the discomfort he’s feeling now, he did sleep through the entire night without waking up even once, something that would’ve been a massive achievement in his normal life back home. 

Even so, he had had strange, confusing dreams throughout the night, half-formed images flashing through his mind that he couldn’t quite make out and phantom sensations all over his body, alternating between pain and empty numbness like he’d left his body entirely, but it’s all slipping away quickly, and he doesn’t bother trying to hold on to any of it, because what’s the point? He still can’t remember how he ended up here and trying to force it out won’t make any of it any clearer. 

Instead, Dongheon focuses on dealing with the reality that’s right in front of him, on what he can see and hear and taste and smell and touch without fear of his mind playing any tricks on him. He’s lying on his side facing their extinguished campfire from last night, and Yeonho should be just on the other side of it, but he’s not. Yeonho’s bed is gone too, with not a trace of it remaining. There’s nothing there but sand. 

And as Dongheon’s mind wakes up little by little, he stares straight ahead at the empty space, frowning as a sudden, overwhelming anxiety creeps over his skin and tightens his chest, and he sits up slowly, sand sprinkling down off of his body, his eyes never leaving the empty space where Yeonho should be. His heart starts to pound as fear wraps around him tight, threatening to consume him as it fills him up with nothing but cold, icy dread. 

The island is here, the island is real, and surely, there’s no way that Yeonho was... 

It’s then that Dongheon suddenly thinks to look out at the ocean, and when he does, he closes his eyes and lets out a long, deep sigh of relief, because he can spot Yeonho out in the water. He’s far away, way out into a deep part of the ocean, and even when Dongheon looks more carefully, he can only see his head and shoulders, but Dongheon can see him, and that’s enough. 

Dongheon laughs a little to himself for being so silly to panic like that, even if it was just for a moment, and then he slowly stands up, brushing more sand off of his body and groaning from the aches and pains still lingering all over from everything that had happened yesterday and from having to sleep on the ground. His makeshift bed of leaves had gotten quite disarrayed, but they hopefully won’t be sleeping here again tonight anyway, so it doesn’t really matter. Still, he’s waking up covered in much more sand than he would’ve preferred, and so he thinks he’ll follow Yeonho’s lead and take a swim in the ocean to wash up. 

It’s already well into the morning, the sun high and shining strong in the bright, clear sky. It’s hot, too, and following a quick trip to the stream that they had found yesterday for a drink of water, Dongheon then makes the long trek down to the shoreline through the sand, and he finds himself immediately starting to flush and sweat, the sparkling blue ocean looking more and more inviting by the second. 

It’s only when he makes it down to the shore that Dongheon realizes with a grin that Yeonho is multi-tasking during his morning swim. Dongheon can see that Yeonho had washed his clothes and laid them out to dry over a few boulders, and by the looks of it, they’ll only need a little while longer to bake fully dry in the sun. And if Yeonho’s clothes are all over here, then that means... 

Dongheon looks out again at the ocean, squinting to see Yeonho and smirking to himself, because Yeonho still hasn’t noticed him, and Dongheon stays quiet as he strips naked and rinses off his clothes as quickly as he can in the shallows, glancing every now and then to check on his friend out in the ocean, then laying everything to dry beside Yeonho’s clothing before sneaking into the water, Dongheon feeling strangely comfortable and confident like this, his heart pounding for an entirely different reason than before as he wades in deeper and deeper, the sand thick and heavy beneath his feet and the cool water refreshing on his hot skin until he can finally slip beneath the surface to swim out into the open ocean. 

And underwater, everything falls into calm, peaceful silence, and swimming feels like heaven after an entire day of wearing dirty clothes in the heat and then an entire night of sleeping in dirty clothes on the sand. Dongheon can feel the layers of grime washing out from his skin and his hair, and he can feel every one of his tense, tightened muscles loosening and relaxing as he swims, and when Dongheon opens his eyes, he can see fish everywhere darting in and out of gardens of sea plants, the water so clear that he can see out far into the distance even like this. He can see _everything_ , Dongheon grinning wide as he swims out to meet Yeonho and enjoying the scent and the taste of the salt as he comes up for air. 

And it’s only then that Yeonho finally notices Dongheon, and just as Dongheon had expected it would be, Yeonho’s reaction is adorable, his face immediately going red. 

“Hyung,” Yeonho greets him, treading water in place, his eyes wide as Dongheon swims leisurely towards him, calm and casual like they’re not both completely naked under the water, Dongheon’s soaked hair dripping water into his eyes. “I didn’t think you would be awake just yet.” 

And as Dongheon swims closer, he greatly enjoys watching Yeonho’s big, innocent eyes very intentionally stare straight ahead into his own, perfect little droplets of water still clinging to Yeonho’s long, dark eyelashes, and he grins again as Yeonho very intentionally avoids looking down, and Dongheon does the same out of respect for Yeonho’s privacy, but he’s still grinning as he swims in closer and closer, finally stopping to tread water right by Yeonho’s side. 

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to look if you don’t want me to,” Dongheon says, and he starts swimming, slow and relaxed in a circle around Yeonho, moving easily and smoothly through the calm, cool water, Yeonho turning in place and following him with his eyes. “Though I have no problem with you looking if you want.” 

And Dongheon really can’t believe he just said that, completely without thinking like his mouth moved on its own, but he plays it cool even as his heart starts to race light and quick and his face heats up. He keeps swimming around Yeonho back and forth, not making any effort to hide anything, and at the same time, he avoids staying still for too long, enjoying the thrill of it all as Yeonho just chuckles incredulously, flustered and watching Dongheon carefully even as he smoothly changes the subject. 

“How did you sleep?” Yeonho asks, and he starts swimming around too, though he’s careful to keep a safe distance between them and is still determined to not look anywhere but at Dongheon’s eyes. 

“Well enough,” Dongheon replies, cautiously moving a bit closer, just a little bit. “How early did you wake up?” 

“Not too long ago,” Yeonho replies, and Dongheon can tell that Yeonho can tell exactly what Dongheon is doing, and that there’s an entirely different and unspoken conversation going on beneath the verbal one. 

“I think we should definitely make it a priority though,” Yeonho goes on as they both go still and tread water with only a few feet of space between them. “Finding a better place to shelter, I mean.” 

“Definitely,” Dongheon agrees, and there’s a long, awkward pause between them, both of them looking right into each other’s eyes and not sure what to do next. 

And Dongheon acts impulsively then, grinning wide as he playfully splashes at Yeonho without warning, Yeonho yelling with laughter and turning away before he does the same and starts splashing back, and soon enough, they’re in a full-on water fight, diving in and out of the water and splashing at each other until they’re both soaking wet even while staying above the surface, neither one of them even thinking about privacy anymore, much too focused on the game that they’ve started and on splashing the other with as much water as possible. 

They soon start swimming further out, chasing each other as the wind begins to pick up and roll them up and down with the waves, making the game even more fun as they hide from each other only to emerge and surprise with huge splashes, and Dongheon’s vision goes blurry from all the water that’s dripping in his eyes, and soon all he can taste is the salt and the bright tang of uncontrollable laughter as the sun shines down on them and the ocean moves with them, and Dongheon feels like a little kid again, every worry and fear gone and in its place only this sweet, innocent fun. 

Almost an hour goes by until their game gradually begins to slow down, and they return to swimming more leisurely, their conversation petering in and out as they slip underwater and dive in and out of the waves, and neither of them is really paying that much attention to what they’re talking about. They haven't forgotten about their situation, but it certainly feels like something else is going on, like they’re just friends hanging out on vacation, and Dongheon almost feels a little manic, nervous in the best way possible, and most of all, he just feels free. He can’t remember the last time he was able to just relax and have fun like this, and he loves it, he loves everything that he’s feeling. 

They stay out in the ocean long enough that the sun moves directly above them in the sky and Dongheon can start to feel it burning the back of his shoulders and his neck, and so, with their clothes surely dry by now, they decide to head back to the shore, still laughing and talking the whole time, Dongheon’s voice starting to get a little hoarse from talking nonstop like a hyperactive fool. 

It’s only when they start to make their way into the shallows, their feet finally able to touch the soft, silky sand of the ocean floor once again, that Yeonho becomes shy about being naked like he only just remembered, and even though only his shoulders and the top of his chest are visible, Dongheon gives him space and makes a point to not look his way, smiling and teasing him about it until Yeonho starts whining in protest, and when they’re shallow enough that the water is only up to their waists, Dongheon turns away completely to face the open ocean and to give Yeonho some privacy to get dressed, Yeonho returning the favor when Dongheon comes to the shore after him. 

And yeah, getting dressed in dry clothes right from coming out of the ocean soaking wet is a bit uncomfortable at first, but at least they’re cleaner now than they were when they woke up, and the sun is hot and strong, and so it doesn’t take long for everything to completely dry off just from them walking out in the open, the two of them making their way back up the beach to their campsite, the dry sand so hot that it almost burns their feet and they laugh as they try to move quickly to the shade where the sand is cooler. 

There’s not much to do now, so after taking a rest for a few minutes on some rocks near their campfire, they soon venture into the forest with the intention of finding a better place to shelter and to start exploring as much of it as they can, the two of them stopping to take a drink at the stream before they continue forward, and they use the path of the stream to guide them to what’s hopefully a larger source of fresh water and somewhere to set up a more long-term camp, for however long they need it. 

The soil that they walk on is soft and moist as they’re careful to avoid rocks and branches, and they do their best to continue forward in one direction, but it’s difficult without any sort of path in an untamed forest, the air slightly humid and alive with the sounds of what feels like a living, breathing thing that’s swallowing them whole as they venture in deeper and deeper and deeper, and soon, the scent of saltwater from the ocean is completely overwhelmed by the fragrance of tropical plants and the harsh sunlight of the open sky is blocked by the thick, towering trees clustered close together above them. 

They follow the stream and are careful not to get themselves lost, always checking back behind them to make sure they are going in a straight line, and sure enough, the stream starts to grow wider and wider, is soon lined with larger and larger rocks and plants until they reach the beginnings of a fast-flowing river and, just as they had been hoping for, they find the entrance to a small cave that the river flows right through in the center, a place that looks to be perfect for a shelter, almost too perfect to believe. 

They step inside together and look around cautiously for any sign of animals or anything else that could potentially be dangerous, their voices echoing loud over the cavern walls as they confirm what they see with each other, that it all appears to be empty save for some plants and mosses that had found their way to grow inside along the river and up the cave walls. 

They soon discover that the cave is quite small, the other entrance where the river continues outside only a short distance through, and they agree that this will be their spot. It’s dry and cool and will protect them from the elements as well as provide a limitless fresh water source. There are even fish swimming in the river here too, though they’re much smaller than those they had found in the ocean and much more skittish. 

Following their short investigation of the cave, they return outside to explore some of the surrounding area, and are excited to find fruit and berries growing all over the forest that they stop to eat and to collect to take back with them, and as they continue to explore, they even see other animals for the first time, birds and lizards and even mice, and butterflies, too. They see those everywhere, and overall, the island is starting to seem less and less like a desolate prison and more like a peaceful, perfect little world of its own. 

In fact, it’s almost _too_ perfect, and there’s a sense of unease that lingers that they don’t talk about but that they both feel and can’t shake away. For one, the island seems much bigger now than it had before, almost like it changed since yesterday, or maybe the forest really is just much bigger on the inside than it had looked on the outside. And the terrain, too, seems to be much more complex than they would’ve expected, much more than just beach and forest like they had originally thought, the ground level rising up and down dramatically in certain areas and the plants and trees changing the further that they stray from the river. 

But even so, there are still no signs of human civilization, and they don’t talk about it, but they’re both wondering the same thing, that is, whether it would be wisest to go back to camp on the beach after all. At least on the beach, everything is clear and out in the open. In the forest, there are mysteries still lurking that they can feel even in the air, and entire areas concealed in darkness from plants much taller than they are that are crowded so close together that they obscure even the smallest hint of sunlight, and sections where the noise of the river and the wind and the animals falls completely silent and all that remains is the chill that runs up Dongheon’s spine as he wonders just what exactly is happening here and what will happen to them if they venture in too deep. 

Eventually, they decide that they’ve seen enough for now and they turn back, following the river back to the cave and feeling quite relieved when they return without incident, the forest back to feeling bright and cheerful again this close to the beach. It’s late in the afternoon by now, and so they focus on gathering what they’ll need for the night, Dongheon able to start a fire inside the cave much faster than he had yesterday. 

And they manage to finish everything right on time, as just before sunset, dark clouds suddenly roll in and it begins to rain, and though it starts as just a light, barely-there drizzle, it soon morphs into a downpour that has them scrambling inside the cave and yelling with laughter to avoid getting soaked. 

As the rain pours down in buckets outside and it soon becomes evening, the last bit of sunlight slipping away and leaving them only with the orange glow of their fire and the white gleaming sparkle of the stars and moon outside shining down into the entrance of the cave, it becomes quite cozy, the fire warming up the small space quite nicely and flickering shadows all around them as they sit up against the cave walls and rest after a long and tiring day of exploring. Dongheon even finds himself starting to get sleepy much faster than he would have expected, he feels so relaxed, and the cave walls are dry and smooth and not at all uncomfortable. 

However, as nice as it all is, Dongheon’s injuries are starting to act up. His cuts are stinging like they’re about to reopen and start bleeding again, and the aches and pains all over his body are returning, duller but also deeper than before, and he thinks that he probably overworked himself considering he almost died yesterday. Still, Dongheon feels mostly content, and he’s enjoying the fire and the soothing sounds of the river and of the rain as it all quiets to a soft, steady patter, Dongheon taking in a deep breath and closing his eyes as he takes in the crisp, flowery island air. 

Having come from an entire life in a huge and crowded city, this is probably the best air that Dongheon has ever breathed in his life, and he loves how quiet and peaceful everything is, and he loves the sky and the sun and the ocean. He loves this cave, and he loves the fire, and he loves the river flowing through in a steady, pleasant rush. He loves being with Yeonho. 

And really, Dongheon feels invigorated, he feels _alive_ , like if they weren’t stuck here, he might actually want to come to a place like this anyway. 

Well, perhaps that’s not quite right. That's not what this really is, and how could he think that when they’re in such a terrible situation? Of course he doesn’t _want_ to be here. He wants to be rescued, he wants to go home, he’s just exhausted and thankful for the chance to rest comfortably, and that they have food and water and a suitable shelter all accounted for as the past two days start to catch up with them. That’s all, and Dongheon doesn’t dwell on it, his focus shifting as his attention returns to what he’s been avoiding and ignoring this whole time. 

“Yeono-ya,” Dongheon says, looking over at his companion who is sitting beside him a few feet away, Yeonho sitting against the cave wall just like Dongheon but curled up in a little ball, his arms wrapped around his knees as he watches the river, clearly deep in thought. “You still can’t remember anything, right?” 

The atmosphere suddenly feels somber, and Yeonho doesn’t respond right away, but he frowns slightly at Dongheon’s words, and that has Dongheon scooting a little closer to him so that they’re right beside each other in front of the fire. 

“What is it?” Dongheon murmurs. “Did you remember something?” 

Yeonho still doesn’t look at Dongheon, but he curls in a little closer on himself, and Dongheon feels the urge of a hyung to pull his dongsaeng into his arms and to comfort him, but he gives him space, and he waits for him to speak again. 

“I don’t know if it’s anything,” Yeonho finally says. “But this morning, when I first woke up...and now, while sitting here...it’s more than it was yesterday. It’s...almost something.” 

He pauses again, and Dongheon cautiously reaches to place a hand on Yeonho’s shoulder. “Don’t push yourself too hard,” Dongheon says. “We’re alright for now.” 

“It’s just so frustrating,” Yeonho goes on, and he sits up a little, eyebrows furrowing. “It might be something that could help us. I know there’s something there, but it’s like it’s covered in a fog that won’t clear enough for me to see it.” 

Yeonho hesitates and then says, “I think I can remember leaving the house yesterday. I remember walking around my neighborhood, and the weather. It was raining just like this. And it was early, the sun wasn’t even up yet.” 

Dongheon keeps his hand on Yeonho’s shoulder but he doesn’t say anything, not wanting to interrupt Yeonho’s train of thought, and in the silence between them in those few moments, all other sounds around them seem to fade away as Dongheon hears only the sound of Yeonho’s soft, gentle sigh before he continues. 

“I remember the feeling, too,” Yeonho says. “I was...exhausted, like I hadn’t slept at all. But also...I think I was really happy. The exhaustion seemed like a minor thing, you know?” 

Dongheon nods and Yeonho lets out a long, deep sigh. “That’s all I’ve been able to remember,” he says. “After that, it’s all just too fuzzy. I have no idea how I would’ve ended up anywhere near the ocean, let alone gotten lost and stranded here.” 

“It’ll come back,” Dongheon replies, finally slipping his hand down from Yeonho’s shoulder to his own lap, where he fidgets with his fingers as he thinks. “I’ve been trying hard to remember too, but for me, it’s almost nothing, and it’s not getting any better. I mean...I think it’s getting worse.” 

“Really?” Yeonho asks, his voice quiet, and Dongheon nods, surprised at how calm he feels about it all, like it’s really not such a big deal. He wonders if he’s actually calm, or if it’s just the strength of his denial. 

“It’ll come back when it’s ready,” Dongheon says with a sigh. “And if it doesn’t, well, there’s nothing I can really do about it, right? So what’s the point in worrying?” 

“Hyung...” Yeonho murmurs, but Dongheon shakes his head quickly and lets out a nervous little chuckle. 

“It’s really no good to worry about this,” Dongheon says, looking over at Yeonho again and giving him a weak smile. “We’ve still got other things to focus on. And right now, we’re alright. Everything’s going to be alright.” 

Yeonho doesn’t seem entirely convinced, however, and despite the good luck that they’ve had, there’s still that ever-present dread that both of them can feel together, and perhaps it was just all too easy to ignore it when they were distracted with things like finding food and water and shelter and taking care of injuries and talking about anything and everything and having pointless, stupid fun in the ocean, and it’s only now that they’ve settled down that they can really start to feel what’s been there the entire time, that awful, terrifying reality. 

And it _is_ terrifying, not knowing why or how any of this happened, or even _what_ is actually happening to them, to only have it in bits and pieces and to not even be entirely sure if those can be trusted, let alone whether they’ll ever have enough to be able to put it all together. They make assumptions, that they’ll be rescued, that they’ll be safe, that they have each other, but none of it is guaranteed. 

It’s then that Dongheon remembers that Yeonho is quite a bit younger than him, and Yeonho lacks a lot of the life experience that Dongheon has. Heck, Yeonho is still a student, whereas Dongheon has been out of school and out in the world for a few years now and has dealt with all manner of stress and problems that Yeonho in his innocence hasn’t been exposed to yet, much less had to handle or resolve. 

And if there’s anything that Dongheon has learned, it’s that problems have to be solved one at a time, and that it’s best to focus on what’s right in front of you and on what you can actually _do_ rather than to let yourself drown in anxiety. 

Even more than that, Dongheon knows that he has to do whatever it takes to keep himself together, he just has to. He can’t let himself feel afraid even if he should be afraid, and he can’t afford to make any mistakes. 

And really, it’s all because of Yeonho. 

Yeonho, who is so much younger than him and who is relying on Dongheon as an older and wiser hyung. Yeonho, who saved Dongheon’s life, and to whom Dongheon now owes everything. And well, after all that they’ve been through, Dongheon has become quite fond of Yeonho as his friend, too. Really, at this point, Dongheon doesn’t know how he’d live with himself if something happened to Yeonho while he should have been there protecting him and keeping him safe. 

Whatever fears and worries Dongheon has, he’ll keep them to himself and shove them way down deep. The only way they’ll make it is to keep their morale up and to stay focused, and Dongheon will do it all, whatever it takes to keep them both going. 

“Really, Yeono-ya, I’m fine,” Dongheon says. “I’m not worried about it. If your memory is returning, then I’m sure mine will be along the way soon too.” 

Dongheon scoots in a little closer as he starts to ramble. “As long as we’re both here and together and healthy, we can do this as long as we need to. I’ll make sure we’re okay, even if it’s for weeks or months or years.” 

There’s a long pause between them, and suddenly they’re looking into each other’s eyes. 

“Years?” Yeonho asks, his voice so quiet that Dongheon can barely hear him over the rain and the river. 

Something happens then, something snaps and breaks, rushing forth all at once like it was barely being held back, and Yeonho’s eyes suddenly grow dark and wet and Dongheon’s chest burns at the sight, and he gives in to his urge from before, quickly pulling Yeonho into his embrace, wrapping his arms around Yeonho’s shoulders and pulling him in close before the first tear even falls. 

And Yeonho presses his face into Dongheon’s chest and grips tight to Dongheon’s shirt, and neither of them says a word. Yeonho doesn’t make any noise as he cries, but Dongheon can feel it soaking through the fabric, and he can feel Yeonho’s quick, shallow breaths up against his own unsteady heartbeat, and Dongheon just holds him and hugs Yeonho tighter, Dongheon closing his eyes and swallowing hard, remembering to shove it all down until it’s just a lump in his throat and the pressure behind his eyes. 

The minutes stretch on, and Dongheon murmurs wordless comfort to Yeonho as he rubs Yeonho’s back and holds him close, and the evening chill comes in strong along with the wind and the rain that begins to downpour more wildly than before, and really, Dongheon had never imagined that an island could be cold like this, but it’s like they’re suddenly in a freezer. 

Even so, they’re able to stay warm huddled close together and in the warmth of the fire, and they don’t move much in the time that it takes for the rain to recede back down to a steady patter, and Dongheon focuses only on comforting the boy in his arms, thankful that he can be here with him and do this for him, because yes, Dongheon needs Yeonho, Dongheon would never be able to make it through this alone, and Yeonho needs him too, that much is clear. 

They eventually fall asleep like that some time later, both much too exhausted and not wanting to leave each other’s warmth, and somewhere along the way, somewhere after he’s already closed his eyes but before he actually drifts off, Dongheon finally allows himself to cry, the tears rolling down his cheeks as one of his hands slides up to thread through Yeonho’s hair. 

Yeonho is already asleep and breathing softly against Dongheon's chest, and something about it is profoundly soothing, and it calms the storm raging in Dongheon’s heart just enough that he’s able to smile, if only to himself.


	4. Chapter 4

The next several days spent on the island see Dongheon and Yeonho falling into something of a routine, the two of them adjusting to their new normal, and though there are still the lingering fears and anxieties, persistent and unshakable that sometimes leave them unable to sleep, sometimes unable to hold back from letting it all out and seeking out each other’s comfort in the form of soft words and soft touches, it’s undeniable that it’s all becoming easier. They’re becoming stronger, and more than anything else, their bond with each other is growing deeper day by day. 

At first, Yeonho had been shyer with Dongheon following that first night together in the cave, and Dongheon understands why. Yeonho had shown a real vulnerability, heck, they both had. It had been a much more intimate moment than either of them would have ever expected with someone that they had only known for two days, but that first night in the cave had also brought them even closer together, had broken down whatever walls were still standing between them, and now, several days later, they’re at a point where there don’t seem to be many boundaries left between them at all. 

They spend nearly every moment of every day together, not only for the necessities of survival, but also because of a newfound necessity for each other’s companionship, for each other’s very presence. The first thing that Dongheon does when he wakes up every morning is to make sure that Yeonho is still there beside him, or if not, that he’s nearby, and safe, and happy. He really needs Yeonho to be happy, and he needs to see him smiling that adorable smile of his. 

And for Yeonho, Dongheon is sure to give him all of the strength and support that he needs, much like their first night together in the cave. Dongheon has come to learn that Yeonho is quite emotional and though he won’t ever come out and ask for it, he is often in need of not only Dongheon’s constant presence, but his physical comfort, and so Dongheon is sure to shower him with it, to touch him in little ways like a pat on the shoulder or a quick squeeze of his hand or a playful hug whenever they’re both feeling happy, and Yeonho often gets flustered by it, but he never pushes away. 

And for the both of them, what they do more than anything else for each other is to make each other smile and laugh. They never run out of stupid jokes to make, or funny stories to tell, and they never run out of things to talk about, whether it’s something silly or serious. They’ve become each other’s happiness in a desperate situation, and they never want to leave each other’s side. 

Every day, they wake up, sometimes Dongheon first, sometimes Yeonho first, and they take turns washing up while the other works on collecting or cooking breakfast. The weather is always nice in the mornings; they’ve yet to wake up to rain or even to clouds, and it’s one of the little things that Dongheon has come to appreciate about this whole thing, a silver lining that he can’t help but to notice despite how ridiculous it is to see any benefits to being stranded here. But really, he enjoys being able to leisurely start each day in peace and calm, to not have to immediately rush somewhere fueled only by caffeine and deadlines. 

In fact, the days really do seem longer here than they ever did back in Dongheon’s regular life. Caught in the rush of life in the city as a young working adult, Dongheon had always felt like his life was moving too quickly for him to ever really feel like he was living. Days flew by, weeks flew by, he would blink and another year had passed where nothing had really changed. But here on the island, every day feels like its own complete little story, with no pattern or predictions as to what could happen or where they’ll find themselves at the end of it. 

They mostly spend their days exploring around the forest and other parts of the island, little by little venturing further out of their orbit to work their way through all of the untouched wilderness, still careful to stay safe, to always make sure that they know where they are and where they’re going and to avoid any areas that their instincts tell them could be dangerous. They get better at finding and preparing food, at keeping themselves and their clothing clean, at keeping themselves busy and healthy mentally and physically, at making this new existence just that tiniest bit more comfortable each and every day. 

At Dongheon’s suggestion, they’ve also begun reviewing every day with each other what they’ve found so that they don’t forget any of it, and they’ve started keeping track of it all by writing all over the cave walls using sharp stones. They’ve still been cautious about going too deep into the forest, but they’ve found other connections to the river, and many more caves and clearings scattered all over the place, and they’re starting to get a clearer picture of everything, the image of a map of the island slowly making its way onto their cave wall by their hands. 

They’re especially sure to keep track of how long they’ve been here too, because the days are starting to blend together. They know that they’ve been on the island for a little over a week now, though neither of them has been able to remember what time of year it was when they got here, and with this being a tropical island, the weather won’t change much, so they don’t even have a guess about what month it is. Still, it gives them the sense of order that they need, and it helps. 

Even so, Dongheon hasn’t been able to remember anything other than vague images and sensations, nothing usable or that makes any kind of sense, but feelings that he can’t describe or explain other than recognizing them as fear and pain. Yeonho has been a little better, and has started remembering more details of the morning before they woke up here. He’s already remembered what he was wearing, what he saw in his neighborhood while he walking, the way the rain felt, and he even remembered boarding a bus to the city, but so far, he’s been unable to remember where he was going and why. 

And along with the mysteries of their own minds are the mysteries of the island itself, which increasingly seems to follow its own rules, changing from moment to moment in inexplicable ways. Sometimes it’s something as small as the wind suddenly blowing in a different direction, or the ground beneath their feet seeming to move and shift from where it was when they were last standing or walking over the exact same spot. Sometimes it’s something being there one moment, a tree, a section of the river, a patch of flowers, and being gone the next. Sometimes, the island feels like a living thing, like it’s trying to tell them something, or trying to lead them to something. 

Today, the two of them had decided to finally make the trip to check out the other side of the island, that is, the beach on the opposite side of where they washed up. Rather than going through the forest, they’ve decided to go around it by way of the beach, just to be safe, and so they find themselves returning to their original campsite after several days away, and it’s already feeling kind of nostalgic, strangely enough, like they’ve been away from it for much, much longer than that. 

When Yeonho had been exploring the beach on the first day, he had said that the island hadn’t seemed very big, that he had gotten quite far walking around in just a short time. But either the island has changed dramatically since they got here, or Yeonho was just wrong, because the journey around the forest by way of the beach, trekking through the hot sand under the blistering sun, is a long and tiring one, and they make many stops along the way for rest and food and water, huddling under the shade at the edge of the forest and constantly dipping in and out of the trees to escape the heat. 

However, it really does seem to be just more of the same as they slowly work their way around, all sand and water surrounding one huge and dense forest, no sign of anything manmade ever having touched this place, all of the island’s intrigue contained within the forest, the beach and the ocean open and clear as always, and it takes the entire day to go around the island; they arrive at the other side just before sunset, so they’ll have to spend the night here. 

At first, the arrival is immensely disappointing, as it seems that there’s nothing new to be found here, and they’re tired and sweaty from walking under the sun all day, and really, all Dongheon can think about now is washing up and going right to sleep before the sun even sets, but they still have to set up a camp for the night. Dongheon had taken care of breakfast that morning, so while Yeonho prepares the fire, Dongheon heads down to the ocean. 

He makes his way down to the water under the orange glow of the sunset, and the evening chill is already beginning to come in, the sand beneath Dongheon’s feet cool to the touch and the water icy-cold as he crouches down at the shoreline to wash his face and his hair, and it feels wonderful after a whole day in the heat, but it’s also got him shivering pretty quickly as cold water drips down all over his face and body. 

And it’s as he’s washing up that Dongheon begins to notice that something about the ocean here seems...different. For one, he notices right away that there don’t seem to be any fish, unlike at the other side of the island where even in the shallows right up to the shoreline there were tons of them. In fact, as he swirls his hands around in the water, he can’t seem to find any signs of life here, not a trace of seaweed or any shells or underwater plants; it’s all just cold water and smooth sand. 

Dongheon goes still and stares down, focused into the water, at his own reflection looking back at him, and the water seems oddly still, and it’s then that he realizes that there is no natural movement of the ocean, there are no waves or even ripples. He then looks out far into the distance, and the water looks the same all the way out as far as he can see. It’s not moving at all, it’s completely still, pristine like one huge sheet of dark glass. 

Dongheon runs a hand through the water again, then lifts it out and lets the droplets fall one by one, and still, there’s nothing. 

Dongheon pauses, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion as his mind starts to go a mile a minute trying to figure out what the heck is going on here. He must be imagining this, right? Or there must be some rare natural phenomenon that he’s not aware of, something that he missed because he was asleep in high school science class or something. 

He blinks slowly, and even weirder, he swears that he’s starting to see white instead of darkness each time he closes his eyes, and he swears that he can hear a faint, high-pitched ringing, and some kind of steady hum or buzz that seems to get louder and louder the more that he focuses on it. He stands up suddenly and takes another look around, but he can’t see anywhere that the noise could possibly be coming from. 

Dongheon sighs, closing his eyes and taking a long, deep breath. He counts out five seconds to inhale, then to hold his breath, and finally to exhale, and he repeats that pattern several times. It’s a coping method that he and Yeonho have come up with after so many bouts of anxiety that they’ve faced since they’ve gotten here, where every little problem seemed insurmountable until they could calm down enough to solve it. 

_Relax_ , Dongheon thinks, curling his hands into fists at his sides and continuing with the breathing pattern for a few more repetitions. _You were in the heat all day, it’s nothing. You need to rest._

He waits another minute or so as he clears his mind and keeps breathing, and sure enough, all of the weirdness fades away. Well, not entirely. The water is still like none that he’s ever seen before, almost like it’s watching him, but the strange noises have gone away and when he blinks now, he sees nothing as he should. He sighs again, making a note to himself that he’ll need to drink a lot of water tonight before he goes to sleep because he’s probably dehydrated. 

With that, Dongheon crouches down again to finish washing up, running his hands through his soaked hair and splashing more water in his face, when suddenly, something floats out right in front of him in the water. He goes still again as his mind processes what he’s seeing, and he then slowly lowers his hands, and for a solid ten seconds, he doesn’t move. 

Another moment passes, and then, he’s reaching out slowly, hesitantly to touch it, frowning, his lips parted as he confirms that it’s real and solid, because he can’t quite believe it. 

Right there in the water, perfectly intact and floating despite the fact that it, by all reason, shouldn’t be, not in the water nor floating, is an electric piano, a keyboard just like the many that he’s used over the years in his music production career, just floating right there in the shallows of the shoreline like a piece of driftwood. 

Dongheon touches it again, and it moves in the water a bit, bobs away, but it doesn’t sink, and again, the ocean doesn’t move in response the way that it should. 

Dongheon stands up again in surprise, and it’s then that he looks out and sees under the last fading glow of the sunset that there are other objects appearing, seemingly from nowhere, and floating all around him even though just seconds ago the entire ocean as he far as he could see looked empty and dead, and he wades out further into the ocean to investigate, keeps going until the water is up to his thighs and soaking his shorts, but he pays it no mind. 

There are tons and tons of smaller items, notebooks and pens and coffee mugs, plates and silverware, all sorts of trinkets and knick-knacks, but he also spots items like a computer and several lamps as well as pieces of furniture like a couch, a table, various cushions and chairs of all sizes, and chunks of wood and metal and plastic that he can’t quite identify, and clothes, lots and lots and lots of clothes. And there’s even more than that too; it’s like the more he looks, the more he sees, like someone’s entire life got dumped out into the ocean. 

Most of it appears undamaged, and everything is floating, even the objects that, again, shouldn’t be floating. Dongheon rubs his eyes, wondering if he’s hallucinating, but when he’s pretty sure that he isn’t, his heart starts to race with adrenaline, his mind once again working quickly. 

At first, he thinks that maybe a cargo ship lost some of its cargo, meaning that they might be able to signal for help if the ship is still close by and if they hurry. But then again, this looks to be all just random personal items, so perhaps it’s from a shipwreck instead. Could that be how they got here to the island? A shipwreck? 

It seems like an obvious enough answer, but Dongheon honestly can’t remember ever even thinking about a boat trip, let alone being on a boat long enough to have gone so far out to sea that they’ve reached an uncharted island as the only survivors of some kind of accident. And besides, that still wouldn’t explain how almost everything here is perfectly intact, but Dongheon and Yeonho themselves were horrifically injured when they first washed up ashore, nor does it explain all of the other weirdness going on with this mysterious island and the way that things keep getting stranger and stranger. 

Dongheon keeps looking around, his heart beating faster and his mind going so quickly that his thoughts tumble over each other, and he wades in deeper and deeper into the ocean until the water is past his hips, then up to his waist, then up to his chest, and he’s sure going to have a hard time getting dry later because the water is freezing and it’s almost dark now, but he keeps finding objects and pieces of objects everywhere, and none of this is making any sense at all. 

Dongheon once more looks out into the distance, but he can’t see any sign of a boat or any parts of a ship, no sign of activity or life or anything at all but open, empty ocean slowly filling with random objects, and even though he knows that he’ll probably regret this later, he takes a deep breath, closing his eyes before he slips beneath the surface of the cold, dark water. 

And it’s even colder underwater, like the ocean is only moments away from becoming ice, and there isn’t much light left as the sun is almost set, so it’s mostly dark and difficult to see more than what’s immediately in front of him, but Dongheon is still able to make out shapes and shadows of objects underwater too, objects that seem to be appearing from nowhere, some resting in the sand ( _so some of these items do sink_ , he notes to himself), some floating to the surface, and no rhyme or reason to any of it or why any of it is happening. 

He comes up for air moments later, and he’s already shivering as he stares out at the last bits of sunlight, then turns to the shore, where he can see the fire in the distance that Yeonho has started. It’s big, a much bigger fire than what they usually make for the two of them, and he wonders what Yeonho will think about all of this, or if maybe he’ll remember something. 

With that thought, Dongheon makes his way to the shore, soaked and freezing, dripping wet into the sand, his soaked clothes clinging to his body and icy water dripping from his hair down over his face and the back of his neck, and the last sunlight fades away just as he arrives at the fire, Yeonho taking one look at him and his eyes going wide in concern. 

“What happened?” Yeonho asks, his mouth slightly quirked up in amusement, but worry clouding his eyes as his gaze scans over Dongheon’s body and at how Dongheon is shivering. “Did you fall in?” 

“There’s something crazy going on,” Dongheon rushes out, slightly out-of-breath from how he half-ran back up here through the sand, and he starts telling Yeonho what he found as Yeonho pulls him by his arm to move in closer to the fire to dry and to warm up. 

And Dongheon is talking fast, trying to explain everything that he found and all of the weird stuff that’s happening, but he realizes that Yeonho is not really listening to him at all, he’s too busy worrying that Dongheon will get sick and that they don’t have any kind of medicine and what will they do if— 

Dongheon grabs Yeonho’s shoulders and spins Yeonho around to face him, then reaches to cup Yeonho’s face in his hands and steps in close, Yeonho going a little breathless and flushing as they stare into each other’s eyes. 

And Dongheon pauses for a moment, his mind going blank, because right now, illuminated by the light of the fire, Yeonho is so beautiful, and his face is so soft, and for a single moment, Dongheon wants to say something else and do something else, the two of them bathing in bright, glowing warmth under the night sky already sprinkled with stars. But Dongheon quickly gets a grip on himself, blinking before he continues. 

“Yeono-ya,” Dongheon says quietly, giving Yeonho a tender smile and cradling his cheeks, “I think I found something important.” 

And Dongheon is reaching down to take Yeonho’s hands in his, to lead him down to the ocean to see for himself, when suddenly, Yeonho stumbles forward and falls right into Dongheon’s arms, Yeonho gripping tight onto Dongheon’s shoulders as Dongheon catches him, arms around Yeonho’s waist, Yeonho’s face going completely white and his eyes fluttering as he lets out a soft, quiet little moan that has Dongheon’s stomach twisting in knots. 

“Hey, hey, I got you, it’s alright,” Dongheon murmurs, rubbing Yeonho’s back and making sure not to let the worry show on his own face, to keep an easy, gentle smile, already knowing exactly how to handle this because this isn’t the first time that this kind of thing has happened. They’ve both pushed themselves a lot since they got here, and Yeonho in particular is the much less physically strong of the two of them; he must be exhausted from walking all day in the heat. 

Dongheon murmurs comforting words as he carefully helps Yeonho down to the soft sand where they can rest for a moment, Dongheon sitting cross-legged and helping Yeonho to lie down on his back and rest his head in Dongheon’s lap. Dongheon’s clothes are still mostly soaked in freezing cold seawater, and the sand is sticking to him everywhere, but he’s drying quickly in front of the fire. 

Yeonho’s eyes are still fluttering, like he’s having trouble keeping them open, and his lips are parted, but his face is flushing now, and he’s starting to sweat, and when Dongheon presses his hand to Yeonho’s forehead, he can feel that Yeonho is burning up like he suddenly has a fever. 

Still, Dongheon doesn’t panic, staying calm as he reaches for one of the containers of water that they had prepared and brought with them (made from bundles of leaves that they had tied tightly together) and helps Yeonho to sit up a bit to drink, and Yeonho is only able to gulp down a few swallows before he’s shaking his head, lying back down again and closing his eyes. 

“S-sorry,” Yeonho says, his voice weak. “I just suddenly feel so...” 

And it’s then that Dongheon notices the side of Yeonho’s forehead at his temple, ice suddenly running through Dongheon’s veins when he reaches, hesitant, to brush some of Yeonho’s hair away and his fingertips are suddenly wet with blood from an injury that had already stopped bleeding the first day that they got here. 

Dongheon’s shirt is still soaked from going in the ocean, and he’s still shivering as the night chill comes in strong, his skin risen in goosebumps despite the heat from the fire, and he’ll almost certainly get sick from this, but he doesn’t hesitate to remove his shirt and to press the cold, wet fabric to Yeonho’s wound, applying firm pressure with one hand and using his other hand to keep Yeonho’s head slightly elevated in his lap. 

“It’s alright, it’s alright, you’re fine, don’t talk,” Dongheon says quietly, holding his shirt in place as Yeonho’s breathing starts to get a little heavier and sporadic, Dongheon every few moments dabbing the fabric over Yeonho’s burning forehead and face to help cool him down before returning to apply pressure to the wound that just won’t stop bleeding. Dongheon’s hands are shaking, and he’s watching very carefully the unsteady rise and fall of Yeonho’s chest, Dongheon’s heart pounding hard. 

“You’re fine, you’re alright, you’re alright,” Dongheon murmurs over and over and over again. 

A few minutes pass, and still, the bleeding won’t stop or even slow, blood seeping through Dongheon’s shirt and dripping down the side of Yeonho’s face, but Dongheon keeps holding his shirt in place and his other hand threaded through Yeonho’s hair at the back of his head, and Dongheon keeps talking, does whatever he can to keep Yeonho awake, and he helps him to drink more water and to breathe, but the fever is getting worse, Yeonho’s forehead now so hot that it nearly burns to the touch, and Yeonho is sweating through his clothes and his breathing is unstable and weak, his gaze unfocused like he’s not really seeing anything even if his eyes are still half-open. 

And Dongheon’s mind is going nonstop again as he tries to come up with a plan, maybe to carry Yeonho down to the ocean to lie by the cold water, or maybe he shouldn’t move him at all, or even touch him at all, maybe he needs more air and space and Dongheon should lie him down in the sand and put out the fire, figure out a way to bandage up the wound, or maybe... 

And it’s then that Yeonho’s eyes slip closed, his head lolling to the side as he goes completely limp on Dongheon’s lap, and Dongheon immediately drops his shirt, his heart in his throat as he presses two fingers to Yeonho’s neck to check his pulse, Dongheon closing his eyes and breathing out a huge sigh of relief when he can feel that it’s still going, and that Yeonho is still breathing. He’s weak, and his pulse is faint, but it’s still going, and he’s still okay. 

Dongheon returns to pressing his shirt against Yeonho’s wound, but it doesn’t seem to be helping, and the fabric is soon so soaked through with blood that it starts to coat Dongheon’s hand, making it wet and sticky, and Dongheon’s heart is going so fast and hard that it hurts so much, his breathing short as he tries his best to stay calm, finally deciding what to do as he lays Yeonho’s head on his legs carefully. From there, Dongheon gives up on pressing his shirt to the wound and instead begins to tear it into strips of fabric, doing his best to make them as even as possible. 

Truthfully, Dongheon is operating on autopilot and his hands are shaking almost uncontrollably now, his forehead dripping from cold sweat, but he manages to get the job done before he proceeds to carefully wrap the strips of fabric around Yeonho’s head to bandage the wound only until the bleeding stops and praying with his entire being that it won’t cause an infection. 

“Yeono-ya, please,” Dongheon whispers, his hands still trembling as he struggles to tie it off and a lump forms in his throat. “Please...please...Yeono-ya...” 

When the bandage is tied properly, Dongheon once again cradles Yeonho’s head in one hand, Yeonho’s hair soft to the touch even when it’s partially caked in blood, Dongheon’s other hand pushing Yeonho’s hair hanging over his forehead out of his face, Dongheon’s fingers tracing the drying trail of blood that’s going down the side of one of Yeonho’s cheeks. 

Yeonho still doesn’t move or respond, and Dongheon swallows hard as pressure starts to push behind his eyes, as his heart continues to thump erratically and his veins run with ice, his stomach churning as Yeonho’s face goes pale again and the color drains away beneath Dongheon’s fingertips. 

The minutes drag on and on, and Dongheon checks constantly for Yeonho’s pulse and breathing, his own breath catching horribly in his chest each time that he doesn’t immediately feel a heartbeat or exhalation, but to Dongheon’s relief, Yeonho seems to be stable, his fever having gone down and the healthy color eventually beginning to return to his face as Dongheon continues to care for him, Dongheon using the remaining fabric of his destroyed shirt to dab at Yeonho’s forehead and face with water. The bandage holds, and even though there’s soon a dark, wet stain of blood, it seems to do the trick, and when it seems like they’re finally out of the danger zone, Dongheon takes a moment to breathe, closing his eyes and letting out a long, deep breath that he feels down to his fingertips and toes. 

“Yeono-ya, don’t scare me like that,” Dongheon murmurs, tucking a strand of hair behind Yeonho’s ear, his eyes falling to Yeonho’s lips that are such a soft pink and slightly parted, and Dongheon carefully places his hand right above, just barely touching to feel the soft exhalations of air, paying close attention, and it seems that Yeonho is breathing normally, his body temperature cooling, and now, he just looks peaceful, as if he’s only fallen asleep. Dongheon checks one last time at Yeonho’s pulse, and is relieved to feel that Yeonho’s heartbeat is strong and steady. 

Dongheon stays like that for a bit while longer, tense and alert, just to be sure that everything’s okay, and also because, in some way, he’s afraid that if he moves too quickly, or if he does anything at all but hold Yeonho carefully in his lap like this, Yeonho might slip into trouble again. 

But eventually, after some time goes by, Dongheon does relax somewhat, and he starts thinking about what he’ll do next. He supposes that he’ll prepare a bed for the night for Yeonho and make sure that he’ll be comfortable, and for Dongheon himself, he’ll probably forget about sleeping tonight so that he can watch over his companion and make sure that he makes it alright through the night without the fever returning or anything else happening. 

And more time goes by, the night sky clouding over and obscuring much of the moonlight and starlight so that soon, Dongheon only has the glow of the fire with which to see, and he’s about to finally get up and begin to prepare a bed for Yeonho when he hears a faint rumbling somewhere in the distance, like an oncoming storm, and he turns to look out at the ocean, his breath going a little short as he feels something like sinister electricity in the air, Dongheon suddenly feeling incredibly uneasy. 

It’s quiet, eerily, eerily quiet, and he can’t feel the wind, and the ocean is as still as it’s been since they got here, looking like blue-black ink in the darkness, and that same deep, heavy rumble has the hair standing up at the back of his neck as a chill runs through his body that feels like a warning. 

The rumbling grows louder, and Dongheon turns back to Yeonho, every one of Dongheon’s instincts telling him that something is wrong and that they need to leave, but he worries that carrying Yeonho while he’s like this might hurt him, and Dongheon wrestles for a moment with what to do, his eyes darting over Yeonho’s face looking for answers. 

But suddenly, the decision is made for him when the ground begins to shake, and it’s not much at first, but Dongheon understands immediately that they need to get out of here fast, Dongheon remaining as calm as possible as he carefully maneuvers around and then stands up so that he’s carrying Yeonho piggyback, and he’s just in time as the ground begins to split open in the distance with awful cracking noises like gunshots, and Dongheon turns his attention towards the forest, thinking that the best bet would be to find another cave for shelter to protect them. 

The shaking grows more intense, and Dongheon soon struggles to keep his balance while carrying Yeonho up the beach and back into the forest, Dongheon struggling in the dark when he can barely see as he makes his way through the trees, and as the shaking grows more violent, trees start falling down all around them and Dongheon begins to search more frantically for shelter, but there’s nothing immediately in sight, and it’s getting more dangerous by the second, like the ground is rolling and tilting beneath Dongheon’s feet, determined to knock him over and swallow him and Yeonho both into the earth. 

Finally, Dongheon slows to a stop, spotting the entrance to a cave, and it’s small but it’ll be enough to protect them, and he struggles to keep his balance and make his way over, barely making it inside in time when the ground gives a huge and violent lurch and finally, Dongheon is knocked over to the ground onto the cold and hard cave floor, Dongheon instinctively falling in such a way that he takes almost all of the impact himself instead of Yeonho. 

Dongheon hurts all over his body from the fall, the impact like hitting concrete, and he groans, turning over with one eye squeezed shut in pain to check on Yeonho beside him, lying unconscious on the ground, and Dongheon reaches out his hand, trembling to touch his friend as the cave shakes all around them, until Dongheon is dragging himself closer and closer so that he can wrap his arms around Yeonho and shield him with his own body the best that he can with the two of the lying there on the cold dirt floor. 

And as the world seems to crumble in on itself outside the walls of the cave, Dongheon squeezes around Yeonho and feels like his own body is splitting apart, a horrible pain wrecking through him in waves, Dongheon breaking out into a cold sweat when he realizes with a sudden dread that he’s bleeding, that a pool of warm, wet blood is forming beneath him and Yeonho because it seems that all of Dongheon’s wounds from the first day on the island have opened at the same time, like they had never healed at all. 

And it’s all just too much happening too quickly, and Dongheon just closes his eyes and prays, murmurs to himself and to Yeonho until he can’t anymore because suddenly his chest is heavy and tight and somehow he’s coughing up water like he’s drowning all over again. 

And through it all, as the darkness covers his vision and he falls into that same deep, dark abyss from that fateful day, he thinks only of Yeonho and holds him close and holds him tight.

**Author's Note:**

> if you enjoyed this fic, please leave a kudos or comment ❤️
> 
> also check out my [yeonheon twitter](https://twitter.com/yeonheonlove), my [personal twitter](https://twitter.com/yeonheonlife), and my [youtube channel](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyNcIoyYpPO5KVjZgnvZsOg) ❤️


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